God has provided so many blessings through our congregation, homeschool community, and the community at large. They have particapated with us in our grief, while many have endured their own griefs as well.

They have rejoiced with us as our family has grown...I now have four grand-daughters (when did I get that old?). One son's family (with one of my grand daughters) continues to live and work in Texas. A daughter and husband are still in Alaska. Another daughter lived in Alaska for a year, and then recently moved back home. I still have another son and daughter living at home as well. The other son and his family (and my other three grand daughters) live very close by. He is candidating for the senior pastor position in the church he has been service for the past two years; first as an intern, then as Associate Pastor. As you can imagine, my vacation times are filled with long bike (BMW K1600GTL or K1200LTC) trips to Alaska and Texas.

I continue to teach Physical Education classes for our local homeschool coop, as well as coaching at our local high school in both basketball (JV Boys) and Track (hurdles, sprints, jumps and relays). I truly enjoy helping children and youth learn to maximize their bodies capabilities in motion and in sport. I especially enjoy the opportunities to speak the grace of our Lord into their young minds, continually praying that the seed of God's Word would sink deep into their hearts and bear fruit that will last.

The past several months have found our family experiencing sorrows that we were initially unable to identify beginning in the late summer. Just in the past few days, we have been able to put our finger on some of them.

During August of 2013, Judi was in the hospital for quite awhile as the doctors realized that the IV foods that had been her primary source of nutrition, were now feeding the cancer more than feeding her and that chemo could no longer hold back the growth of the cancer.

Diagnosis? Stop the IV foods, provide as much comfort as she needed, take her home and love on her.

The entire family gathered. One sons school let him out early so he could come home. He delayed starting his career so that his family could spend that time with us. A daughters' coworkers shared their vacation and comp time with her so that she and her husband could spend as much time home with us as possible. Two daughters bought Australian Shepherd brother and sister puppies, arriving home with them a few minutes before Judi breathed her last breath here and went to meet Jesus.

This grief was bookended on one side by deaths of some very close friends and on the other by the death of my mother, followed a year later by my father. I thank God for the confidence I have that all of these also rejoiced to meet their Creator/Redeemer.

In all the griefs, God wrapped cords of love between our children in such a way that we have all grown even closer together. Almost all of them will be home next week. I can hardly waith.

During this time, God has caused me to value the opportunity to preach the Gospel even more highly than before. The reality of mortality followed by having to face Jesus either in humble and grateful love, or in terror has grown in my soul. The realization that each person bears burdens that to them are nearly unbearable at one time or another, along with the reminders that what our family faced is very little compared to many families and individuals has grown.

I find myself more and more grieved as I see and read about many so-called Christians have accepted a gospel that is no Gospel at all. "We just want to know Jesus." "We want to hear Jesus voice, apart from the Bible." "How dare you call my choices sinful..." "What do you mean that God would be so unloving as to separate himself from anyone?" "Jesus never made anyone choose sides." And on and on it goes.

I am grieved at how many christian leaders have rejected the plain meaning of the Bible in favor of a more tolerant and "loving" message.

I have been so blessed by several ministries that have increased their focus upon teaching about the true love of God, His glory, His righteousness, His immutability, His Divine intentions that pre-date the creation of time and space, His willingness to share the love that has existed among the God-head for all eternity...with us, His recent creation. I appreciate those who embrace this loving, unchanging God. May the Lord bless their ministries by using them to reach even more people for the Kingdom.

I was so encouraged recently when a Bible study group on the other side of the world from me, let me know that God has been blessing them as they have been downloading messages from our site and listening to and studying them together. May God continue to bless such things, and may He keep me true to His word, so that I would submit my thoughts to Him, and He could speak their truth and application into the lives of many.

These things have brought me great joy, even in the midst of the griefs with which He has blessed me.

I will rejoice. Yes, and I will rejoice again. I will give thanks for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus, for me. I will strive to let my gentleness by known, for I will always remember that the Lord is near to me. He sees, He hears, He knows my inmost thoughts. Every word that is on my tongue, He has known already, whether it is truthful or deceitful. Therefore, I will give thanks always, testing all things to see whether they are good (of God) or evil, and I will hold fast to that which is good, rejecting all evil.